


His Smile

by Jaxness



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-30
Updated: 2013-05-30
Packaged: 2017-12-13 09:36:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/822802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaxness/pseuds/Jaxness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I don't know. My first try at filling a kinkmeme.<br/>"So, fangirls have noticed that Will tends to smile more than usual when he’s around Hannibal. I would like anything where Hannibal has fallen in love with Will’s smile and makes it a goal to make him smile at least once during each of their encounters. </p><p>Bonus: Hannibal’s so enamored of Will’s smile that he becomes a little pouty/upset if deprived of it for a day."</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Smile

At first Hannibal could care less about Will Graham as a person. As an agent, yes, of course, he was, after all, the Chesapeake Ripper and Will Graham had all the tools necessary to finally succeed in catching him. He fantasized about the day Will finally uncovered his secret, the way his darting gaze would finally lock onto Hannibal's steady eyes and his mouth would drop open in surprise and horror.

He fantasized about cutting Will to pieces, skewering him with care and efficiency, the better man after their little game of hide and seek. He looked forward to the elation and satisfaction he was sure the smaller man's death would bring. His mouth was already watering for the his victory feast by the time his eyes first laid eyes on the special agent.

But then...Will Graham was a curious specimen. He was tortured in ways that Hannibal could not help but find fascinating, shoved into the perverted minds of killers at the forceful demand of Jack Crawford. He was a constant contradiction of quiet strength and jagged, broken edges. 

There was a break lying somewhere with Will Graham, or the potential of a break but even Hannibal had trouble deciding if that break was inevitable or if it had already happened. Will certainly wasn't telling.

So Hannibal became invested in Will, at first, for a number of reasons.He could see clearer than anyone he had ever met before and yet he couldn't meet others' eyes. He wanted to figure him out, take him to pieces, discover the source of that constant wave of pain he seemed to exude. Hannibal breathed in that pain like ambrosia and couldn't help but smile each time the man came to him just that much more scraped raw by whatever case Jack had wrangled him into. Delicious. Confusing.

Because if Will Graham hurt that much why did he continue? Humans pulled away from pain an yet Will was too strong to let his baser instincts control him. His mind rebelled and broke and yet Will continued.

He was a puzzle that Hannibal could pass the time with.

But then it all changed when Will smiled.

It seems like such an innocuous thing in hindsight. A small, hesitant smile. Progress, Hannibal had thought distantly. Everything changed.

Will's dark eyes suddenly lit up, his face filled with warmth. The constant aura of pain and slight insanity lifted for just a moment and was replaced with, with...something warm and healing and all-encompassing. Hannibal felt it wash over his skin, his chest constricted and all he could do was stare, stunned. It was beautiful. it was breathtaking.

And Hannibal would do anything to see it again.

This was not any easy feat but Hannibal was determined. He wanted to see Will heal before his eyes, he wanted to be the reason for Will's healing. And he wanted to feel that glorious heat on his skin again.

But Will was guarded. He was used to people hurting him and rejecting him. It made it hard for him to relax enough to let that light shine through and Hannibal cursed whatever had made Will this way. Now his fantasies involved finding the scum who raised him this way and rending them limb from limb with a conspicuous lack of decorum. He wouldn't even deign to eat such putrid beings, so low he thought them.

He began to loathe the days Jack Crawford called because those days Will would come to his office more twitchy and stoic than ever before. Those days it was nearly impossible to get Will to smile.

Will was a hurt animal, back into a corner, and the only thing that could draw him out was a stoic kindness. Even then, any move would have to be on Will's part.

Nontheless, Hannibal was a patient man. He could wait while Will grew accustomed to his gentle care and affection. He could wait as those impressive barriers slowly crumbled beneath his kindness and understanding. 

And he was rewarded for his efforts. Will's smile began to come a little easier in the privacy of their sessions. Then his smiles began to become a little brighter and a little fuller and Hannibal was twice rewarded: Will was smiling and he was smiling for Hannibal. Because of Hannibal. The sense of power and pride that it gave him was..intoxicating.

It was good, fantastic even. And then the call came.

"Sorry, Dr. Lecter, but I won't be making our meeting today. Or tomorrow," Will's voice was heavy with frustration and genuine apology but that did nothing to calm Hannibal.

"Is that so? May I inquire as to why?" Hannibal asked lightly. Inside, he was in turmoil. Will couldn't go away, out of his reach. It wasn't allowed. It was bad enough that Jack had been working Will too hard these past few months, Hannibal couldn't have Will removed from him completely.

"The killer struck again in Pennsylvania," Will explained. "Jack's got my headed out on the next plane."

Hannibals' blood began to burn with fury. That, that swine of a killer! He knew he should have killed her when he had the chance.  
"And Jack Crawford will be there as well, then?"

"No, he's having me work with the local PD. Said this should only take a day or so, so there was no reason for him to accompany me."

"I see," Hannibal said evenly. "Thank you for informing me. I presume our sessions will continue upon your return?"

"Yes."

"Very well then, Will. Please do not hesitate to call me for a chat at any time."

"I'll keep that in mind. Bye."

"Goodbye."

Hannibal set the phone down gently and frowned. Jack Crawford. His frown morphed into a sneer before he smoothed it away with one hand. He was being ridiculous. He could handle a day or two without Will and his smile. He could.  
_________________________________________________________________

"I think Hannibal is pouting."

Alana Bloom crossed her legs and thought over that statement very carefully. It was unusual for Abigail to talk with her about Dr. Lecter after her initial disapproval about his role in her life.

"I don't think I can imagine Dr. Lecter pouting," she said finally and it was true. Hannibal Lecter was the most self-contained man she had ever met and not once in the many years of their association had she seen him display such a childish emotion.  
"He is," Abigail asserted.

"Okay," Dr. Bloom agreed easily. "Why do you think he's...pouting."

"I don't know," Abigail said, "He just is."

Dr. Bloom nodded and continued on with the session but the idea still tugged at her. Hannibal pouting? That would be the day.  
Though...She had dinner with him planned for later. She would see if what Abigail said was true then.  
\------------------------------------------------

"Oh my god, Abigail was right," Alana said with awe as Hannibal practically slammed his home phone back into the cradle. Practically, because a man as deliberate as Hannibal never lost control enough to slam something down. But the tension behind the gesture was there and Alana's eyes were too keen to miss it.

"And what was she right about?" Hannibal asked calmly. He picked up his fork and delicately speared a small chunk of pot roast.

"You're pouting," she accused. Hannibal's fork froze halfway between his plate and mouth. He decisively lowered the utensil and regarded Alana with faint indignation.

"I am not," he refuted mildly. His tone said for her to drop it but this was far too interesting to let go.

"You are. Why else would you hang up on Jack like that?"

"Perhaps because I am not Jack's employee and am in fact not obligated to heed his every beck and call."

"You told him to, and I quote, do his own work for once."

"He relies to heavily on those not directly under his command."

"You've helped before," Alana pointed out, ignoring the slight bite in his words. Hannibal patted his mouth with a napkin before answering.

"Only when providing support for my patient."

Suddenly everything became clear.

"You're upset Jack sent Will to Pennsylvania, aren't you?"

Hannibal stood to clear their plates but didn't deny it. He knew better than to lie to a colleague, especially one he had known as long as Dr. Bloom.

"You realize that Will has to travel for his work."

"Jack Crawford did not have to send him by himself," Hannibal pointed out, hiding and slightly failing to hide his petulant tone.

"No, he didn't but that's not what this is about. You're upset that Will was sent at all, not just by himself."

"He should not be working this case without support," Hannibal deflected.

"Hannibal." She sounded chiding, clearly not distracted by the very real truth in his statement.

"I find that I miss our sessions," Hannibal admitted stiffly. Dr. Bloom raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"It's only been a day." And we both know you just miss him, not your sessions.

Dr. Lecter did not deign to respond. He knew it had only been a day, he was consciously aware of the passing of time when Will was away. He was very aware that it had now been 26 hours since he had last seen Will's smile.

Meanwhile Dr. Bloom was both amused and worried. She had seen the way the two men gravitated towards each other from the start but how would this affect their professional relationship? How would Will handle someone like Dr. Lecter? Or, more importantly, could Dr. Lecter handle someone like Will?

Beyond that, even, should she be worried about how dependent they were beginning to become?

The phone rang again before Alana could give voice to any of the thousands of questions suddenly rustling about in her head.

Hannibal picked it up efficiently but with a-...was that a growl? Alana decided that her mind must be playing tricks on her and dismissed the notion.

"Hello? Will," Alana started at the sudden warmth in Hannibal's voice as he greeted her friend. In all her time with him, she had never heard his voice with that much affection in it.

"I always have time to talk. I enjoy our chats."

Alana smiled and gathered her things. Hannibal didn't even notice her leave, so focussed was he on whatever it was Will was saying.  
Perhaps they would be good for each other after all.


End file.
